Heat shock protein 70 of the agent of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis binds to Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies.
We describe a patient with human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE), a diagnosis confirmed by PCR and immunoblot analysis. Unexpectedly, immunoglobulin G (IgG) directed towards an 80-kDa ehrlichial antigen (without detectable IgM) was present in the patient's serum in the first week of illness. Lyme disease immunoblots were reactive for IgG (but not IgM), a result indicative of prior exposure to the Lyme disease spirochete. Amino-terminal sequencing revealed that the 80-kDa ehrlichial antigen was an HSP-70 homolog similar to Borrelia burgdorferi HSP-70. We conclude that antibodies against B. burgdorferi HSP-70 may cross-react with the ehrlichial heat shock protein and that this possibility must be considered when serologic test results for HGE and Lyme disease are interpreted.
Ijdo
J W
JW
Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-4080, USA.
Zhang
Y
Y
Anderson
M L
ML
Goldberg
D
D
Fikrig
E
E
D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000378:metabolism*; D015748:Borrelia burgdorferi Group / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D016873:Ehrlichiosis / Q000276:immunology*; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000382:microbiology; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D008193:Lyme Disease / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000382:microbiology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011485:Protein Binding; D017421:Sequence Analysis
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D018840:HSP70 Heat-Shock Proteins; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D010455:Peptides